A jacking system is disclosed in which a hydraulic jack, having a raisable piston, is used, in combination with a jack stand having a raisable support column, to raise a load. In a preferred embodiment, the support column has two components that may telescope into each other and that may be held in fixed position by two ratchet mechanisms. The jack stand is configured so that, when the hydraulic jack is positioned alongside the jack stand, the piston of the hydraulic jack is able to interact with and raise the support column along with the load.
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6. A method of elevating an object, comprising:
providing a jack stand that includes a base and an elongate column that is both vertically slidable in relation to the base and telescopically extendable in length, the column having a plate member connected to, and extending from the column substantially at a right angle to, an upper end of the column;
positioning the jack stand beneath the object,
positioning adjacent the jack stand a hydraulic jack having an elongate piston that is both upwardly movable and telescopically extendable in length to elevate a load, such that the piston is positioned alongside of and extending in the same direction as the column, and such that a terminal portion of the piston is in contact with an under surface of the plate member;
elevating the piston;
telescopically extending the length of the piston;
elevating the plate member;
elevating the column;
telescopically extending the length of the column;
elevating the object; and
holding the column in a selected fixed elevation in relation to the base.
11. A jack stand in combination with a hydraulic jack comprising:
a jack stand having:
a first elongate rod and a second elongate rod wherein the second rod defines a lumen configured to slidingly receive the first rod;
a base defining a receptacle enclosing the second rod and configured to slidingly receive the second rod;
a first means for mechanically holding the first rod in a selected one of a plurality of different elevated positions in relation to the second rod;
a second means for mechanically holding the second rod in a selected one of a plurality of different elevated positions in relation to the base, and
a plate member connected to an upper end of the first rod, the plate member extending substantially at a right angle to the first rod; and
a hydraulic jack having:
an elongate piston with a terminal end, the piston being movable upwardly for elevating a load;
wherein the hydraulic jack is positionable adjacent the jack stand such that the piston is positioned alongside of and extending in the same direction as the first and second rods such that the terminal end of the piston is positioned in contact with a lower surface of the plate member, whereby, when the piston is moved upwardly to elevate a load, the first rod is moved upwardly in relation to the second rod and second rod is moved upwardly in relation to the base, and the first and second means are configured to hold the first rod and the second rod in elevated positions when the piston ceases moving upwardly; and
further wherein, the jack stand is configured in relation to the hydraulic jack such that the hydraulic jack is detachable and removable from the jack stand while the first rod and second rod of the jack stand are held in elevated positions.
1. A jack stand in combination with a hydraulic jack comprising:
a jack stand having:
a first elongate rod and a second elongate rod wherein the second rod defines a lumen configured to slidingly receive the first rod;
a base defining a receptacle enclosing the second rod and configured to slidingly receive the second rod;
a first means for mechanically holding the first rod in a selected one of a plurality of different elevated positions in relation to the second rod;
a second means for mechanically holding the second rod in a selected one of a plurality of different elevated positions in relation to the base; and
a plate member connected to an upper end of the first rod, the plate member extending from the first rod and substantially at a right angle to the first rod; and
a hydraulic jack having:
an elongate piston with a terminal end, the piston being movable upwardly for elevating a load, the piston further being telescopically extendable in length by having an inner sleeve and an outer sleeve wherein the outer sleeve defines a lumen configured to slidingly receive the inner sleeve;
wherein the hydraulic jack is configured to be positionable adjacent the jack stand such that the piston is positioned alongside of and extending in the same direction as the first and second rods, and such that the terminal end of the piston is positioned in contact with a lower surface of the plate member, whereby, when the piston is moved upwardly to elevate a load, the first rod is moved upwardly in relation to the second rod and the second rod is moved upwardly in relation to the base; and
further wherein, the first and second means are configured to hold the first rod and the second rod in elevated positions when the piston ceases moving upwardly.
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This application is a continuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 11/286,788, filed Nov. 23, 2005. This application claims the benefit of that application and incorporates it herein by reference.
The words “comprising,” “having,” “containing,” and “including,” and other forms thereof, are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. “Rectangular” includes square.
Hydraulic jacks are used to raise many types of loads above ground level such as, for example, automobiles. If the jack remains in place after elevating a load, over time due to leakage of hydraulic fluid, the jack gradually lowers the load. The best practice is to use a jack stand placed under the load to maintain the load elevated and remove the jack once the jack stand is in place.
A problem occurs in connection with lifting automotive vehicles having a uni-body frame that frequently is bent when the jack is improperly positioned beneath the vehicle. Moreover, even if the jack is placed properly beneath the frame at a position that avoids bending the frame, the jack stand is often placed beneath the frame at an improper position, resulting in the frame bending under the weight of the vehicle when the jack in lowered. Placing the jack stand next to the elevated jack is no guarantee that it is correctly position to avoid bending the frame when the jack is lowered.
This invention has one or more features as discussed subsequently herein. After reading the following section entitled “DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTS OF THIS INVENTION,” one will understand how the features of this invention provide its benefits. The benefits of this invention include, but are not limited to, providing: (a) a jack stand and method that enables the jack stand to be precisely located with respect to an automotive vehicle frame so the frame does not bend under the weight of the vehicle when the jack in lowered, (b) a jack stand enabling a plurality of such stands to be stacked one upon another, (c) an especially configured jack stand facilitating its manufacture from metallic sheet material using conventional metal punching, bending and welding techniques, (d) a jack stand that enables several stand to be stacked one upon the other, (e) a jack stand that may be folded to reduce its size for storage, and (f) a jack stand that may be inserted into a small space beneath an automobile or other load.
Without limiting the scope of this invention as expressed by the claims that follow, some, but not necessarily all, of its features are:
One, this invention includes the combination of a jack stand and jack where the jack stand has a moveable, elongated column that is elevated as the jack is elevated. A vertically oriented, compact hydraulic jack may be used. The column is vertically oriented and moveable between a plurality of different elevated positions. The column may have an overhanging member and the stand may have a platform beneath the overhanging member. The jack is placed on the platform and positioned to elevate the column as the jack is elevated.
Two, the spatial relationship between the column in a completely lowered position and the vertical height of the jack with its piston in a completely lowered position are another feature of this invention. Under these conditions the underside of the overhanging member of the column is above a top side of the platform a predetermined distance substantially equal to the vertical height of the jack with its piston in a completely lowered position. Thus, a head end of the jack's piston engages this underside, simultaneously raising the column as the jack is elevated. When the pin element is in place holding the jack in a selected elevated position, the jack may be lowered and removed from the platform.
Three, the support column is held in a selected one of plurality of different elevated positions after being elevated by the hydraulic jack and upon removal of the hydraulic jack from the platform. Different means may be used to hold the raised column in a selected elevated position. One means is that the support column may include a series of pairs of aligned, opposed openings spaced apart along the support column and a removable pin element is inserted though opposed opening when the selected elevated position is attained. Another means is a ratchet mechanism that holds the support column in a selected one of plurality of different elevated positions.
Four, the column may be detachable and may have a substantially rectangular shape. The column may have at the upper end a locator member with a longitudinal centerline of the stand intersecting a center of the locator member. The locator member may be substantially at a right angle to both the column and a plate member forming the overhanging member and the plate member may be at a right to the column. The locator member may have a central element with opposed ends and a pair of opposed outwardly and upwardly extending flange members, each one connected to one of the ends of the central element.
Five, the stand may comprise a base and a receptacle. The base has one or more of the following characteristics. It may have a substantially pyramid configuration. It may include at or near a bottom end a jack platform and at a top end the receptacle, which may be hollow and have an open upper end. It may have a longitudinal centerline and the receptacle is oriented lengthwise along the centerline. It may have a hollow interior and a partially open side providing access to the interior, enabling the jack to be seated on the platform with the jack at least partially positioned within the interior and its piston member directly under the overhanging member of the column. It may comprise a pair of sections, with the sections being moveable relative to each other to increase and decrease the height of the base. These sections may be substantially mirror images of each other and they may be attached at upper ends thereof to pivot. Bracing structure extending between lower ends of the sections may be used to increase the rigidity of the base.
Six, the receptacle may be fixedly attached to the base of the jack stand or it may be a separate detachable member. The receptacle may have dimensions substantially the same as the dimensions of the column to enable the lower end of the column to be inserted into the open upper end of the receptacle. For example, the receptacle and the column may each be of substantially the same rectangular in cross-sectional configuration. The receptacle may include a pair of aligned, opposed openings that enable the removable pin element to be inserted into one opening in the receptacle and through the openings in one pair of the series in the column aligned with the openings in the receptacle and through the other opening in the receptacle. With the pin element so inserted, it maintains the column in a selected elevated position.
Seven, in yet a further embodiment of the invention, the support column may include an elongate first rod, and an elongate second rod. The first rod is moveable in a direction parallel with the second rod. The plate member is attached to the first rod and positioned substantially at a right angle to the first rod at an upper end of the first rod. A base is provided including an open upper end configured to receive the support column. The support column is moveable along the first axis while received within the open upper end of the base, and the jack stand is configured to be activated by a hydraulic jack having a piston, the piston having a second elongate axis, and wherein the jack stand is positioned for use in relation to the hydraulic jack with the piston in contact with the plate member such that the second axis is not coaxial with the first axis. When the piston is raised to elevate a load, the support column is raised.
In a further aspect, the support column is configured to be held in a selected one of plurality of different elevated positions in relation to the base after the support column is raised by the hydraulic jack. A first ratchet mechanism may be used for holding the support column in a selected one of a plurality of different elevated positions in relation to the base. In further detail, the first ratchet mechanism may be configured to hold the second rod in relation to the base. In yet further detail, the first rod may be configured to be held in a selected one of a plurality of different elevated positions in relation to the second rod after the support column is raised by the hydraulic jack, where the holding may be performed by a second ratchet mechanism.
Eight, the invention may be an entire jacking system comprising a jack stand as described above, in combination with a hydraulic jack including a piston that has an outer sleeve and an inner sleeve, the inner sleeve being slidable within the outer sleeve to provide a telescoping piston. In this system, the features of the jack stand as described above are included.
Finally, a method of lifting a load is included in this invention that comprises:
These and other advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description thereof and the accompanying exemplary drawings.
Some embodiments of this invention, illustrating all its features, will now be discussed in detail. These embodiments depict the novel and non-obvious jack stand and jack combination and method of this invention as shown in the accompanying drawing, which is for illustrative purposes only. This drawing includes the following figures (Figs.), with like numerals indicating like parts:
This invention comprises a unique jack stand used with a conventional hydraulic jack, for example, a bottle jack 12. There are several embodiments of the jack stand illustrated, namely, the jack stand 10 shown in
The support column 16 is moveable lengthwise while positioned within the receptacle 13, and the hydraulic jack 12 is adapted to sit on the platform 18. The hydraulic jack 12 includes a piston 14 having an upper end that is beneath the plate member 28 when the jack 12 is sitting on the platform 18. The piston 14 elevates the column 16 as the piston 14 is raised by manually actuating the jack 12. Upon removal of the hydraulic jack 12 from the platform 14, the support column 16 is held in a selected one of plurality of different elevated positions. This may be accomplished by means of a pin element 22 used in the embodiments depicted in
As illustrated in
The stand 10 includes the base 11, the receptacle 13, the elongated support column 16 received within the receptacle, and the jack platform 18 for supporting the bottle jack 12 in an upright, vertical orientation. The receptacle 13 has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape formed by opposed front side 13a and back side 13b (
The support column 16 is detachable and has a substantially rectangular cross-sectional shape formed by opposed front side 16a and back side 16b (
The load supporting plate member 28 is attached to the column 16 in a manner to overhang the platform 18. This plate member 28 has an upper substantially flat top 28a with a flat underside 29 (
The base 11 has a substantially pyramid configuration and a longitudinal centerline coincident with the centerline C that intersects a truncated apex end E6. Four flat inwardly slanting, substantially triangular configured sides 11a, 11b, 11c (
The jack platform 18 is at or near a bottom end E7 of the base and it includes a flat top side 18a, a right side 18b as viewed in
This configuration of the base 11 and receptacle 13 is essentially symmetrical about the centerline C. Consequently, even with their platforms attached, a plurality of the stands, with their columns and pin elements removed, may be stacked together as shown in
The bottle hydraulic jack 12 is adapted to sit on the flat top side 18a of the platform 18 in an upright, substantially vertical orientation. The jack stand 10 is initially placed, for example, beneath a frame of an automotive vehicle and positioned with respect to the frame so that the locator member 30 will contact a vehicle's frame at a precise location that avoids any damage to the frame when the column 16 of the jack stand is elevated to support the vehicle. As shown in
The jack 12 while on the platform 18 is at least partially received within the hollow interior 32 and is at or near the centerline C. Thus, with the jack 12 so positioned on the platform 18, the piston head end 14a is directly under and adjacent to the underside 29 of the plate member 28. The piston head end 14a engages the underside 29 of the plate member 28 as the piston 14 is elevated in response to the actuation of the piston raising and lowering mechanism 12. The upward vertical movement of the piston 14 raises the column 16, pressing the locator member 30 against the desired precise location along the frame to avoid damaging the frame.
At a selected elevation, the user manually inserts the pin element 22 into aligned openings in the column 16 and the receptacle 13. When the opening 20a and 20b in the receptacle 13 are aligned with the pair of opening 25a-26a and the pin element 22 is inserted into these four aligned openings, the column 16 is at its lowest elevation. When the opening 20a and 20b are aligned with the pair of opening 25c-26c and the pin element 22 is inserted into these four aligned openings, the column 16 is at its highest elevation as shown in
With the column 16 so elevated, the jack's piston 14 is lowered by the user actuating the piston raising and lowering mechanism 12a. The jack 12 may then be removed from the platform 18. Because the locator member 30 contacts the precise location along the frame that avoids bending or otherwise damaging the frame, removal of the jack has no adverse consequences. Simultaneously raising the column 16 as the jack 12 is elevated thus moves the locator member 30 into contact with the precise location along the frame. This solves the problem associate with the two step procedure of first using a jack and then, while the jack is raised and supporting a load, placing a jack stand next to the raised jack to support the load. When the user desires to remove the stand 10, the jack 12 is again placed on the platform and elevated to support the load upon removal of the pin element 22. With the pin element 22 removed the user actuates the piston raising and lowering mechanism 12a to lower the column 16 to the position shown in
In the embodiment shown in
As depicted in
This ratchet mechanism 60 includes a series of teeth 66 along an outer edge 19 of the column 16 that engage a pawl 62 mounted on the receptacle 13 to rotate. A manually operated handle 64 connected to the pawl 62 controls the direction of rotation of the pawl. With the handle 64 in the position shown in solid lines, the pawl 62 may only rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as shown in
When the column 16 is to be lowered, the jack 12 is again placed on the jack platform 18, and the handle 64 is manually moved in the position shown in dotted lines in
As depicted in
In one aspect of this embodiment, two separate ratchet mechanisms may be used. A first ratchet mechanism 60 is similar to that used in previous embodiments for holding the column 16 in fixed relation to the base 11. The first ratchet mechanism includes teeth 66 on the column 16, a lever 64 for setting the direction of the ratchet movement, and a pawl 62 for insertion between the teeth to hold the column 16 in fixed relation to the base 11. A second ratchet mechanism 60′ is provided to permit the additional column portion 16′ to slide to selectable positions in relation to the column 16 itself. The second ratchet mechanism includes a second set of teeth 66′ on the additional column portion 16′, a second lever 64′ for setting the direction of relative movement between the two column portions 16, 16′ and a second pawl 62′ (
It will be appreciated that elevating the telescoping piston into contact with the underside of the plate member 28, the upper side of which may be in contact with a load, and then further upwards to lift the load, will cause the column 16 and additional column portion 16′ to be raised also. An upward load will be applied, via the plate member 28, to the additional column portion 16′ (first rod), which will in turn pull upwardly on the column 16 (second rd). As the column 16 and the additional column portion 16′ are raised, the two pawls 62, 62′ will fall in between the sets of teeth 66, 66′ to form a barrier to the retraction of the jack stand. It will be appreciated that the rate of lifting the column 16 and additional column portion 16′ in relation to each other will depend on the relative friction and drag applied by the two ratchet mechanisms, but that ultimately the column 16 and additional column portion 16′ are extendable to their full extent without manual intervention with the ratchet mechanisms 60 and 60′. Thus, when the operator is satisfied with the elevation of the load, he may simply terminate actuating the hydraulic jack. If the hydraulic jack slowly dissipates internal hydraulic pressure to allow the upper tip of the piston to fall slightly, the load will transfer to the elevated jack stand 10 which is mechanically held in fixed elevated position by the column 16 and additional column portion 16′ which in turn are held in fixed position in relation to the base 11 by the two ratchet mechanisms 60, and 60′. Finally, when the user wishes to lower the load, the hydraulic jack 12 must be activated to assume the load if pressure has become dissipated, the direction of the ratchet mechanisms reversed by setting the handles 64, 64′, and the hydraulic jack slowly lowered by manually releasing hydraulic pressure.
In the present embodiment, it may be convenient to mount the jack stand and the hydraulic jack 12 on a stand 18 configured to hold the jack stand and hydraulic jack in fixed relation to each other, with the axis C1 of the column and the elongate axis of the piston being not co-axial. This aspect conveniently permits the piston to engage with the overhanging plate member 28 of the jack stand when the piston is elevated.
The above presents a description of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the present invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use this invention. This invention is, however, susceptible to modifications and alternate constructions from that discussed above which are fully equivalent. Consequently, it is not the intention to limit this invention to the particular embodiment disclosed. On the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications and alternate constructions coming within the spirit and scope of the invention as generally expressed by the following claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter of the invention:
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Executed on | Assignor | Assignee | Conveyance | Frame | Reel | Doc |
Feb 15 2007 | Alltrade Tools LLC | (assignment on the face of the patent) | / | |||
May 15 2007 | HERNANDEZ, HECTOR RAY, JR | Alltrade Tools LLC | NUNC PRO TUNC ASSIGNMENT SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS | 019303 | /0916 | |
Jul 02 2013 | Alltrade Tools, LLC | NEWSTAR BUSINESS CREDIT, LLC | SECURITY AGREEMENT | 030772 | /0397 |
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